Congressman takes aim at SAFE Act

An anti-SAFE Act sign has been hanging in front of Don Novak's Columbia County house for the past four years.

"It's too much restriction on it, labeling of bullets and number of bullets. This and that," believes the retired town court judge.

Advertisement – Content Continues Below

Change could come, however, from Washington, not Albany. Rep. Chris Collins just introduced a federal bill to limit a state's authority to regulate gun sales. The Erie County Republican's Second Amendment Guarantee Act would essentially override New York's SAFE Act.

"This is extreme politics. You have an extreme ultra-conservative movement dominant in Washington," explained Gov. Andrew Cuomo after an unrelated media event in Hudson on Tuesday.

The governor hailed his 2013 measure as the strictest gun legislation in the nation and doesn't believe the Collins bill will advance. If it does, he says New York will retaliate.

"If they try to overrule the State of New York, we will sue because the state has rights too. Especially with this federal government, it's important states assert their rights," vowed Cuomo.

Novak is concerned it's his rights that are being ignored.

"He's ramming everything down your throat," he said.

This isn't the first time Cuomo and Collins have battled. Collins, along with Rep. John Faso (R - Kinderhook), introduced an amendment to the controversial health care bill in Washington that Cuomo maintains would have cost New York counties millions of dollars.